A few days ago, I came across a picture of a cartoon dog with the words, ‘A Course in Miracles, Lesson 40 Workbook‘ on the side bar of youtube. I was sure it was the work of yet another cult group who had got hold of A Course in Miracles, or some spam bot. Nonetheless, I clicked on it.
What I saw was highly amusing and surreal, but also really creative. I then proceeded to watch a whole series of short clips of floating dogs, talking heads and grouchy old folks, all working together to present the workbook lessons in A Course in Miracles.
I really believe that A Course in Miracles is really taking off in the general population, and having different ways of teaching is part of that of that wave. A Course in Miracles is becoming more accessible, especially to the younger generation. It means different ways of expressing the ideas in the Course, through different media and art – via the internet, drawing, music, video, etc. One brilliant example of this wave of alternative media is the graphic novel ‘The Universe is a Dream’ by Alex Marchand.
Matthew Treya, the man responsible for ‘A Course in Miracles Toons’, also sometimes known as Dave P, derives his name from “Maitreya”, which in Sanskrit means “loving-kindness.” I have a short email interview with Dave to find out what drives him to make these fascinating videos about A Course in Miracles. (Dave also couldn’t resist making an animated cartoon video of the interview! I only wish my voice were as deep in real life though. 
)
KB: Hi Matthew! First of all, thank you for making these videos – I think what you’ve done is a huge step in the right direction. Maybe we can start off by telling us a little about you?
MT: I’m a husband, father, human, teacher of English as Second Language teacher, former math teacher, and sometime writer. For a teacher, I think you’ll find me somewhat reserved.
KB: So how did you first come up with this idea?
MT: I know it’s trite, but it just “came” to me. I was looking for something small, compact, and short to “cartoonize”. The “Workbook”, on a table nearby almost opened itself. I started flipping through it, and, voila, 365 perfect little ready-made scenes, stories really. It seemed tailor-made.
KB: How did you discover the Course?
MT: I first picked it up 30—or more–years ago in the East-West Bookstore on lower Fifth Avenue in New York City. I was a naïve, arrogant purist, Trungpa’s “spiritual materialist”, so it struck me as too “new-age-y.” I put it back on the shelf, in favor of, well…something I thought more “legitimate,” probably Sri Ramana Maharshi. I didn’t re-visit it until about ten years ago. I was reading Wayne Dyer, who recommended Dr. David R. Hawkins. Both embrace the Course.
KB: How do you make these videos?
MT: I use an empowering program (for a non-artist like myself) called “Crazytalk Animator”. One 15 second “toon” represents at least a week of thought, experiment, trial and error, “layering”, and tweaking. It’s all very enthralling and satisfying, like being a film maker on a miniature scale.
I start by reading through the lesson a few times (usually early, early in the morning), letting it wash over me and looking for something in addition to the quotation itself, an extra detail (an extra creative challenge as well), a seed within the body of the lesson to anchor or focus the toon, to add another layer, another dimension—like, say, the concept of “light episodes” in Lesson 15,
“the little edges of light around the same familiar objects which you see now. That is the beginning of real vision.”
If you look real closely, you’ll see these edges, this aura, growing around the lion in the girl’s eyes.
KB: Do you find making these videos helps you in doing your daily lessons?
MT: Yes! It’s a perfect fit really. Creating them helps me. I couldn’t keep it up otherwise. The challenge of interpreting them as tiny works of art forces me to really think about each lesson. So, it works for me and, I trust, for the viewer too.
KB: Where do you find your inspiration for these videos?
MT: Trite again, but it comes from within. They make themselves. I am only a conduit. I go into a meditative state and ask the lessons to guide me. And usually it works like a charm. Such a process no surprise to you and your readers, I suspect.
KB: Anything else you would like to share with us?
MT: Dr. David Hawkins, says something to the effect that Lesson 75 is a critical point, where the Course really begins to “click.” So, I must finish the first 75 Lessons. After that, I hope, all the way to 365. Maybe I can cajole my wife into another cameo appearance or two. After all, she’s the force behind it all.
May I thank all the kind viewers for their support? And may I also shamelessly plug the podcast/blog, “Namaste Stories”, the genesis of these video via a long, circuitous route.
Thanks for the interview. Now, surf’s up!
KB: Thank you and looking forward to more videos!
Ken -